Editorial: Take heed of the town hall
University President Tim Killeen announced last week that the University would soon be hosting another round of town hall meetings. Killeen, pictured here speaking with The Daily Illini Editorial Board at the University of Illinois-Chicago campus, has made his Strategic Plan for the next five years a focal point since taking over.
February 14, 2016
On March 14, University President Timothy Killeen will host a second town hall meeting, in which the University invites students, faculty and staff to take part in creating the University’s strategic plan for the next five years.EJ
This sounds at first like a publicity stunt that will make the University look more democratic, but we are here to tell you that the University legitimately wants and needs you there. If you know what is good for you — you should go.
When each of us were making the decision to attend college at the University, we were shown roughly 200 reasons that our experience on campus was going to better our lives. We’d each graduate with a degree from the 10th best public college in the nation; we’d be exposed to and involved in ground-shaking research; and we’d have a blast doing it. But the University of Illinois has an ulterior motive for wanting us to attend college here.EJ http://admissions.illinois.edu/Home/choose-illinois-reasons http://www.forbes.com/colleges/university-of-illinois-at-urbana-champaign/EJ
The University wants us to succeed as a whole so that we, the next generation of Illinois residents, can turn things around for our state. If you haven’t been keeping up with the news as of late, things are not looking great for Illinois economically, especially considering the state budget impasse. We are the state’s opportunity to change that.
An increase in Illinois innovators and entrepreneurs means more businesses will bring in revenue for the state. That’s essentially the mission of the entire University and that’s why the University desperately needs our input now.
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We are the voice of the future and we need to take responsibility and use that voice. What can the University change about its curricula, its teaching strategies and its enrollment that will foster more growth in our state?
If we put our collective 45,000 bright, young minds together on this one, we can certainly find ways to improve the quality of education here and improve the state as a whole.
The strategic plan is already well on its way to developing a cohesive mission for the University moving forward. It mentions the development of an “Innovation City” in Chicago that will further entrepreneurial and experiential learning. It talks about increasing digital literacy among students, and it lists affordability and sustainability as priorities going forward. But this plan is not complete yet.You could, and should, give your input this March. https://www.uillinois.edu/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=368936EJ
The March 14 town hall meeting will not just determine the University’s strategic plan. It will, if you and your colleagues and classmates contribute your ideas, determine the future of the state of Illinois.
